2Connect and Netnod/Autonomica have today announced that an instance of i-root-servers.net has been installed in one of 2Connect’s Bahrain data centres. This is the first DNS root server in Bahrain, which will contribute to the reliability and redundancy in DNS services to Internet users in Bahrain and surrounding regions.

Thanks to the successful cooperation between 2Connect and Netnod has the installation of i.root-servers.net been possible. This is the second time that i.root-servers.net has been deployed in the GCC, the first one was installed in Doha, Qatar approximately two years ago.

Shaikh Mohammed bin Essa Al Khalifa, Chief Executive of the Economic Development Board, commented, “Bahrain has played a pioneering role in the development of the information technology and telecommunications industry in the Gulf and today boasts of one of the most dynamic and deregulated telecom markets in the region.

“The TRA has played a key role in the deregulation of the industry in Bahrain thereby creating opportunities for more players to thrive and compete, more employment opportunities for Bahrainis as well as greater technological innovation and product diversification all for the benefit of consumers. We encourage companies to continue to innovate and invest in the further development of telecommunications infrastructure and initiatives so that businesses and the Bahraini citizens at home can experience world class telecommunication services in the Kingdom of Bahrain,” added Shaikh Mohammed bin Essa Al Khalifa.

Fahad AlShirawi, Founder and Managing Director of 2Connect believe the addition of the i.root-servers.net mirror strengthens 2Connect’s commitment to the telecommunications industry in Bahrain, and the internet in general. "2Connect has a philosophy of an open Internet, so we naturally support organisations like Netnod, and Internet Service Providers who choose to enter into neutral peering arrangements.”

Mr. AlShirawi continues, “Establishing a root server in Bahrain makes this country part of the global Internet’s critical infrastructure. If anything, our important dot on the world map has just become that much more important.”

"We are very pleased to deploy i.root-server instance in Bahrain,” says Kurt-Erik Lindqvist, CEO of Netnod / Autonomica. “This root server will not only benefit the Bahrain Internet community, but also Internet communities in the surrounding region, in terms of faster domain resolution and increased resilience within the region. Bahrain is a well-situated location for a root server with good connections to the rest of the Middle East. This installation is part of Netnod´s efforts to continuously increase the i.root-servers.net footprint and thereby increase the performance and robustness of the root server system worldwide, as well as helping infrastructure security and resilience in Bahrain and the region.”

Root servers are a critical part of the Internet's Domain Name System (DNS), providing information about authoritative servers for all Top Level Domains (TLDs) (such as ".com", ".org", ".bh", ".fr" and ".jp"). Computers need this information to interpret web-addresses, e-mail addresses, and perform other types of Internet transactions.